sbobet asiaManchester United have submitted an application to join the second tier of the Women's Super League, the Premier League club have confirmed.

United are currently the only top-flight club without a women's team after scrapping their side in 2005.

The club have applied to the FA to form a professional women's team in the WSL2, as they look to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, who have dominated the women's game in recent seasons.

A statement released by United on Wednesday read: "Manchester United has submitted an application to the Football Association to establish a professional women's team in the second tier of the Women's Super League.

"If successful, the move would provide a career pathway for players who graduate from the long-established and highly successful Girls' Regional Talent Club, which has seen some 15 of its graduates playing international football this season alone. sbobet asia

"The squad would be based at the club's historic training centre at The Cliff."

United chief executive Ed Woodward says the club's planned women's team will be built "in the same image and with the same principles" as the men's first team.

"We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first ever professional women's team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2," he said.

"The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the Regional Talent Club the chance to establish themselves as first team players.

"The Manchester United women's team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men's first team and offer academy players a clear route to top level football within the club."

England Women head coach Phil Neville recently called on his former side to form a new women's team shortly after taking up his role with the national side.

"I will be encouraging them," said Neville. "They have a fantastic community programme for female players and coaches.

"When they do set out their women's team it will be one to challenge City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. A club of the size of United should be the leaders, the pioneers. I am sure they are working to do that." sbobet asia

maxbetSeeing empty seats at the Emirates Stadium has become the norm in recent months as Arsenal's Premier League campaign meanders to its conclusion, but why are the fans staying away? Attendances at Arsenal's home league games have dwindled since the Gunners' 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at the start of March, with many season-ticket holders opting to skip games against Watford, Stoke and even the Europa League quarter-final clash with CSKA Moscow.

Ahead of Arsene Wenger's side's match with West Ham, which is live on Sky Sports Premier League on Super Sunday, skysports.com asked former Gunners Paul Merson and Alan Smith, Islington Gazette's Arsenal reporter Layth Yousif, Gunnerblog's James McNicholas and ArsenalFanTV's Robbie Lyle for their views...

The players aren't good enoughPAUL MERSON: Did you watch the first-half of the game against Stoke in their last home game? That's the reason why! The performances just haven't been good enough. The fans are paying top dollar and they haven't got top-dollar players on the pitch. Too many of them are nowhere near good enough to play for Arsenal Football Club.

The fans are fed upROBBIE LYLE: I think there's a lot of apathy. The fans are just fed up and they've had enough. They've seen a lot of the same problems continue year-after-year and at the moment they are voting with their feet.

The people that are staying away are the season ticket holders. There are some circumstances like having a lot of Sunday kick-offs but having said that, over previous years we've had games in the League Cup that have still sold out. Every game was sold out and you couldn't get a ticket for love nor money. The empty seats show there is definitely a problem and it can't be ignored. maxbet

Wenger's the issueLAYTH YOUSIF: I think people have generally had enough of Wenger. They've had enough of underachieving in terms of challenging for the Premier League title and the Champions League. When the club moved from Highbury in 2005 the fans were effectively told a lie. They were told the club were moving to the Emirates to compete with the top clubs in both England and Europe, but that hasn't happened and a lot people are furious about it.

The club is staleALAN SMITH: There's a lack of enthusiasm generally from the fan base. Obviously the team are not going for anything significant in the league so nobody can really get excited about games which will decide who finishes fifth, sixth or seventh.

Tired of the same storyJAMES MCNICHOLAS: If you look at last season there was so much protest and so much anger but this time the absence of the fans is quite a passive protest. I actually think it's a more harmful one than the banners and the chanting because it's indicative of apathy. The empty seats will have more of an impact higher up the club because it's a message the board can't help but see. What's interesting about it is that it's not a financial message because most of these tickets are already sold, however, the empty seats are damaging for the club's brand, especially at a time when they are looking to negotiate a new kit deal and find a sleeve sponsor. The thousands upon thousands of empty seats is not a great look for the club. maxbet